A Beaten Path
by Wildfire45
Summary: A beaten path will be walked once again, led by kin, followed by kin" A fatal mistake, one that will change the life of the Clans forever, is made. Loyalty will be challenged, the feirce will rise, and our greatest heroes could become our enemies.
1. The Prophecy

The Beaten Path

Wildfire: HI! WAZZUP!

Iceclaw: Yo!

WF: UM! HI! I will let my assistant do da talkin' here! Iceclaw front and center!

IC: Yeah, Wildfire doesn't read many FanFics so she doesn't know how this goes. I do though!

WF: I never said you could speak! 50 PUSHUPS! IN ADDITION, YOU WILL CALL ME MASTER OR LORD WILDFIRE!

IC: Yes, Master –goes on ground and does 1 push up- one mouse in the fresh-kill pile! Uhhh!*pant pant* I'm done, can't do…any….more...-drops down on floor, dead-

WF: GET YOUR FREAKIN' TONGUE IN YOUR MOUTH AND GET UP! -GETS DOWN AND WHISPERS IN ICECLAW'S EAR- I am scared! Help me!

-Spottedleaf and Yellowfang fly down and hit Iceclaw hard on the face then disappear. Iceclaw gets up, rubbing her head-

IC: WHAT THE HECK! I thought medicine cats were nice!-looks over at Wildfire who is staring into space- what are you doing?

WF: Wha! Huh! Did someone say somthin'? I think meh assistant can speak! OMG!

IC: She forgets things a lot, now what are you looking at Master?

WF: When did you start calling meh master? Oh, yeah! Um, I wasn't lookin' at nothin' I was thinkin'… I didn't know StarClan cats had WINGS! –Gets up and dances around- I want to be just like them! –Climbs up on a huge rock- Look at me peasants! I can fly! – Somewhat heroically jumps off the rock- I BELIEVE I CAN FLY! I BELIEVE I CAN TOUCH THE SKY! – unfortunately that "flying" only lasted 2 seconds, perhaps less, falls to the ground- OH! THE PAIN! *cough* *gag* I-I…did I FLY Iceclaw! DID I FLY? DID I TOUCH THE SKY? –suddenly breaks into song and dances around AGAIN- OH! I FLEW! I WAS A BALLERINA! I TOUCHED THE STARS THAT CRADLE US IN OUR EARTHLY PIT OF DEATH!

IC: Okay… lets discuss the story now, this story will be featuring many couples such as LeafxCrow-cheering comes from Leafpool and Crowfeather, who are sitting next to each other in the crowd, then suddenly break off and slide away from each other-

WF: OH! YOU'RE HERE TOO! YOU HAVE NO PRETTY WINGS! AHHHHHH! WAHH! Anyway, don't break away! You are meant for each other! –Suddenly breaks off into song…HORRIBLY OFF TUNE! - CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT! –Pauses-… I forgot the rest! WAH! NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THE PAIN OF NO SONG! COME ON! I GETTING THE VIBES FOR A SONG! YANKEE DOODLE WENT TO TOWN RIDING ON A… uh …a… peanut jar? NO NO!

IC: Of course, Leafpool and Crowfeather are here dumbo! Every single warrior cat is out here in our audience! Leafpool and Crowfeather please step in stage.

Said cats get up out of their seats and Crowfeather sits at the very left side of the stage while Leafpool on the very right.

IC: Together, next to each other… center of the stage….-the two cats obey and sit down, their pelts brushing against each other- Good, the next couple is… SandxFire! Come on stage! Take a seat next to Crowfeather!

Firestar quickly grabs the seat next to Crowfeather and whispers something in his ear then makes all color leave his face.

WF: HEHHEHEHEHEHE I wonder what he said! Don't worry everyone! I can read minds! –Concentrates completely on the two cats. - UGH! Knowledge too huge to bear! –Passes out- Wait! Before I pass out…PEACE! LET THE POLAR BEARS LIVE! OH, and Iceclaw I LOVE YOU! –Passes out-

IC: Like a sister, I hope… Lets see, you! Buff tom in the center! Throw her against a wall and see what happens!-Buff tom walks up on stage-

Buff tom- The name's Little Croissant, if I may! I am a French pussycat! Please let me throw thus annoying furry ball into the wall. –Picks up Wildfire and Throws her to the wall- That should do it!

WF: ELLO! THE WORLD WELCOMES MEH! –stops talking and gets up to stand head to head with the "French pussy cat"- Yo What up DAWG! LI'L CROISSANT MAN! HI-FIVE! –Little Croissant Hi-fives her back- LONG TIME NO SEE! AM I RIGHT? HOW ABOUT A WEE CHAT? –Looks at the audience- THIS IS MY MAN LI'L! He is meh bestest bud! He is EL PUSSYGATO! AM I RIGHT?

Li'l: I don't even know you wee one! BUT! YOU ARE AS THE AMERICANS SAY…uh what do the Americans say?

IC: That's all right…ahem let's continue. The next couple is… SquirrelxBramble! Step up on stage next to Leafpool!

WF: OOOHHHH!!!! NO SPILLING ICEY! There is a wee secret in this stuff but I ain't no person to spill! It ain't my thing! Ya know what I mean! –Walks up to the couple and whispers SOMETHING in their ear-

Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw: WHAT! WE DIDN'T PAY FOR THIS!

WF: OH, but you DID! –Shows them the contract- SEE!

S and B: AW SHOOT! YOU PEOPLE ARE EVIL! AND WHEN WE GET OUT PAWS ON YOU-

WF: GETTING A LITTLE ANGRY I SEE! GUARDS TAKE THEM TO THE BACK! –Guards suddenly appear out of nowhere…-

Guards: YES, BOSS!

IC: Don't take them! Everyone is kinda upset! Everyone signed the contract! Leave them alone! You two, -turns to Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight- go sit next to Leafpool, next to each other and shut up! Go away guards! Theses are our main couples! Others not as important are SorrelxBraken! (Cheers erupt from the two cats) FernxDust (cheers)! BrightxCloud (Cheers and awws)! TawnyxRowan (Cheers, mostly from ShadowClan)! StormxBrook (cheers)!

WF: And from our StarClan cats that couldn't make it today… that have, pretty wings… are BluexOak (Cheers)! YellowxRagged (Cheers from mostly ShadowClan and ThunderClan)! And Spottedleaf, who looks down on Firestar (Cheers, even from Sandstorm)! BrindlexWhitexWillow (cheers and gasps, 'he had TWO mates?)! Feathertail, who is looking down on Crowfeather (Cheers), SilverxGray, nobody's really sure if he's dead, and we don't want to spoil (sobs and cheers)! That's about it, right?

IC: Yes, now you tell me to do the disclaimer.

WF: UH HUH! AND The Couples list will change the further you get into the story!

NEVERTHELESS, for now SO LONG FAREWELL I'll SEE YOU HERE TOMORROW!

IC: WOULD YOU QUIT SINGING AND WAVE!

WF: NOW, WE PRESENT YOU, THE PROLOGUE!

IC: WAIT I MUST DISCLAIM! Disclaimer: Wildfire does not own the Warriors series or any of its characters...Except the over twenty OCs that will come in the story later.

WF: SO LONG FARE-

IC: SHUT UP!

_______________________________________________________________________

_Prologue _

_Midnight gazed up to the starry sky, a bright red star glowed over her._

_ "The color of blood; StarClan is not with the starry cat…" whispered Midnight. Suddenly, a small star floated towards the fretful red one… it seemed to be over powered by the red star, the way the red light shone brighter then it's ghostly one. Midnight shuddered, '__**Was this one of Starclan's prophecies?'**__ She wondered._

_"A beaten path," StarClan breathed around her, "Will be walked once again." The salty tang of blood washed through her mouth._

_She spat out the threatening taste and looked up at the stars and sent a silent prayer to StarClan, 'Please, don't let it be more trouble for the Clan cats.' Midnight silently pleaded, but something inside her told her that it would be worse than the trouble with two legs._

_She looked back toward the sky, her eyes glazed with horror. A star clear enough to see through showed the face of a cat, it was being drawn towards the bloodthirsty star. Midnight, backed away, the cat was familiar, its gleaming amber eyes, dark brown fur and broad shoulders… "No!" Midnight growled out the stars. "I can stop this!" She yowled at the stars._

_Midnight clawed at the ground in frustration, "I must warn the medicine cats!" She growled._

_Midnight leaped on to a very tall rock. She bowed her head at the dark sky, "A beaten path will be walked once again" She whispered, "A cat of gleaming amber eyes will be drawn to the rage of no other than kin, it is not alone." Midnight finished, remembering the stars of blood and terror._

_Midnight looked at the stars; the chilling prophecy was gone._

As Leafpool set out for her meeting at the Moonpool, her pelt still prickled with uneasiness. Brambeclaw's first day as deputy had gone well; he gave orders with a quiet authority and he worked harder than any cat on his patrols. But she couldn't forget her vision of Tigerstar shadowing him as Firestar announced that he would be deputy. Somehow, she knew, Brambleclaw was still in contact with his murderous father. And that meant the whole Clan was in danger.

Hoping for a sign when she shared tongues with StarClan at the Moonpool, she padded through the forest and emerged through the trees where it gurgled around the stepping-stones. Barkface and Mothwing were waiting for her, and in the twilight Leafpool could just make out the shape of another, smaller cat~ Willowpaw! Leafpool had forgotten that this was the night when the young gray she-cat would be officially received by StarClan as Mothwing's apprentice.

"Hi," she meowed, bounding up to them. "Willowpaw, it's great to see you."

Willowpaw ducked her head in shyly. Her eyes shone; she looked to excited to speak. "Hi, Leafpool," she mewed. "It's great to be here."

To Leafpool's relief the apprentice did not mention the dream they had shared with the catmint. Barkface might overhear, and he would think it very strange that another Clan's medicine cat had to guide Mothwing's apprentice.

"Where's Littlecloud?' Leafpool asked. "He isn't usually late."

Barkface shrugged. "No idea. He may have gone ahead."

"We'd better get on. The moon will be up soon," Mothwing added.

Leafpool could see tension in every hair of her friend's pelt. She could understand why. Mothwing was about to present her apprentice to StarClan when she herself didn't believe in them. She must be terrified of what would happen. Perhaps StarClan wouldn't even accept Willowpaw when her mentor couldn't reach them.

_No,_ Leafpool comforted herself. _Feathertail came to Willowpaw in my dream, and promised her she would have lots more dreams of StarClan._

She wished she could comfort Mothwing, but in front of Barkface, she couldn't even admit that the problem existed.

The four cats had just crossed the Thunder Clan border when a yowl sounded from behind them and Littlecloud raced up to them.

"Sorry," he panted. "Cedarheart turned up with a thorn in his paw just as I was about to leave. Welcome," he added, dipping his head to Willowpaw. "Don't be nervous about tonight. You'll be fine; you've got a great mentor."

Mothwing said nothing, but Leafpool didn't miss the flash of panic in her eyes. The cats continued their journey to the Moonpool, Willowpaw stayed in the front, talking with Barkface and Littlecloud while Mothwing walked silently next to Leafpool. The ThunderClan medicine cat couldn't resist saying her thoughts aloud to Mothwing.

"Mothwing," Leafpool started. "How are you going to handle StarClan now?" The words slipped out of her mouth before she could even think. "I'm sorry, I meant no offense." She said.

"Its okay," Mothwing said, "You're probably just as worried as I am." The golden she-cat paused. "I'll do the same thing I always do, don't lap the water." She whispered to her friend. "I don't care about what StarClan thinks; all they ever do is send messages and visions that are more like riddles than prophecies!" She hissed back, turning away to Leafpool.

"You'll never be able to teach Willowpaw properly unless you believe in StarClan." She growled. "Or is that _my_ job?" She yowled. Willowpaw, Barkface and Littlecloud stopped and looked back at her with eyes full of confusion. Mothwing looked at her with eyes that seemed to say, _what did you do!_ "T-To walk on your territory an-and get some-some catnip for Mousefur myself?" she said, it was the very thing that came in came in her head. Mothwing looked relieved and the other medicine cats turned away. Willowpaw stared at her mentor for a few seconds longer before turning back to the path ahead of her.

"Willowpaw will be fine!" Mothwing hissed. Suddenly she softened and her neck fur lay flat. "Sorry… you're right," she gulped, "I'll-I'll lap the water this time." Her green eyes swirled with hope and fear, and then they sparkled. "I'll do what's best for Willowpaw."

Leafpool nodded in satisfaction, and then walked the rest of the way to the Moonpool in silence.

The moon floated high in the sky by the time the medicine cats pushed their way through the barrier of bushes and stood at the top of the hollow. Willowpaw stared in delight at the silver stream pouring down the rock in front of her, and the bubbling Moonpool that seemed to be full of starlight.

"It's so beautiful!" She whispered.

Barkface took the lead down the dimpled path to the waterside. Mothwing followed with Willowpaw just behind her, while Leafpool and Littlecloud were last.

Beside the pool, Mothwing turned and faced her apprentice. "Willowpaw," she meowed, "is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" Whatever she believed privately, she knew the ritual well enough~ and sounded as if she meant every one of them too.

Willowpaw's gray fur, turned to silver in the moonlight, was fluffed out in excitement and she held her tail high. Her eyes were filled with awe as she replied solemnly, "It is."

"Then come forward."

Willowpaw padded up to her until both cats were standing on the very edge of the Moonpool. Mothwing raised her head to gaze at Silverpelt; Leafpool wondered what she saw up there. Her voice was very high pitched and almost shaking as she went on with the ceremony; she looked more nervous than her apprentice.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present to you this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance to your will."

Leafpool's heart twisted with pity for her friend, recognizing what each word was costing her. Everyday she lived a lie, but this was worse than everything else, to call on starry spirits she did not believe in where all the other medicine cats would hear her.

Mothwing waved her tail at Willowpaw. "Crouch down and drink from the pool." She instructed, her voice was high and crisp.

Willowpaw obeyed her mentor. Mothwing and the rest of the medicine cats took their own places at the edge the pool, and stretched out to lap up a few drops of the silvery water.

Just as Leafpool was about to lap from the pool she saw from the corner of her eye a dappled golden pelt sit up and shuffle her paws. Leafpool got up too, and looked at Mothwing; her green eyes were swirling with emotion.

"Leafpool," Mothwing started, looking the ThunderClan medicine cat in the eyes, "Do you think StarClan will share dreams with me? Even if they are real, I mean." The RiverClan medicine cat was still not confident about StarClan.

"Of course!" Leafpool said, Mothwing still didn't look sure, "Don't worry, I will be here for you." Leafpool said as she guided her friend to the Moonpool. They lay down next to each other; Mothwing pressed her golden pelt against Leafpool's brown one as they lapped at the water and drifted into a sleep filled with cats with stars in their fur.

Leafpool stood in an empty clearing, no moon glimmered in the sky, only stars glowed brightly. One star, however, was glowing red, the color of blood. It seemed to absorb all the happiness in her, making her blood run cold. Leafpool shuddered, _Why would StarClan be with be with that sta_r_?_ She thought.

"I suppose you're wondering the same thing StarClan is." Said a sweet voice, Leafpool turned around to see a dark tortoiseshell she-cat walking up to her, Spottedleaf sat down beside her, and pointed a white paw to the red star.

"You mean _StarClan_ doesn't know what it means?" Leafpool said, her voice was filled with shock, and her eyes bore into the former medicine cat. Spottedleaf laughed and faced the present ThunderClan medicine cat.

"We do not know everything Leafpool." She said, her amber eyes met Leafpool's, "no matter how much we would want to, we don't. All we know is that such a star is not part of StarClan, it thirsts for power, and that it came with a prophecy."

"What's the prophecy?" Asked Leafpool, she already felt worried with 'Blood will spill blood and the lake will run red' and now this? Maybe this prophecy will help understand the last one.

"A beaten path will be walked once again…th….br…cl…" Spottedleaf's words started to slur and she started to fade. "T…fr….de…"

"No! Do not go! Wait!" Leafpool pleaded, "Tell me all of it!" Although, once those words escaped her mouth, Spottedleaf disappeared. Everything around her started to fade into the darkness, she looked up at the fading sky, and another star had begun to move toward the red star. "Is this what Spottedleaf meant? A beaten path will be walked once again?" she whispered to herself.

The other star moved faster and faster to the red one, until, it was directly beside it. Then, the light from the red star seemed to increase; it blazed into Leafpool's eyes. She would have looked away in the pain, but something was drawing her to look at it. She gazed at the yellow star, it's light was getting less visible by the moment, it's strength was fading. It tried to break away but the red star was too strong. The yellow star soon died out, as did all the other things in her dream, she felt herself fading away. Blackness shrouded her as she woke by the Moonpool.

Brambleclaw pushed the thorn barrier and sniffed the air, thinking he could pick up RiverClan scent…or maybe ShadowClan. He could not see Hawkfrost, "Hawkfrost!" He called anxiously.

No reply, there was an eerie silence.

He felt alone, then, turned to see a large thrush through some bracken. It reminded him he had not eaten that morning, so, he dropped into the hunter's crouch. In the same heartbeat, something heavy crashed down on the thrush. He let out a yowl of alarm. The figure turned to him and he noticed the ice blue eyes.

"Hawkfrost, is that you?' Brambleclaw said, "What are doing! You scared off my prey!"

Hawkfrost shrugged, "It doesn't matter it's just one piece of prey! You can order cats to give you prey once you're the leader of ThunderClan and WindClan!"

Bramble claw stood and faced his half-brother was right, but he would still have some explaining to do if one of his clan mates saw him with a RiverClan warrior! "You're not supposed to be here anyway!" Brambleclaw growled

"It doesn't matter as long as I stay two fox tails from the lake!" Hawkfrost defended himself. Then, he flicked his tail toward a frond of bracken, "We can go in there, hopefully one of your clanmates won't see us."

As they sat close together in the arch of bracken, Brambleclaw picked up the scent of ShadowClan. He wrinkled his nose, "You smell of ShadowClan!"

Hawkfrost narrowed his eyes, "I must've picked off their wreck when I crossed through their territory." He growled. "But, never mind that we are wasting time!" Hawkfrost spat.

Brambleclaw nodded and took a deep breath. He hoped he could find the right words to let Hawkfrost know his doubts about Tigerstar's vision without letting him think he was less committed to becoming leader of his Clan. "This idea of Tigerstar's…that we take over the Clans…I'm not sure it will work…StarClan has decreed there should be four clans." Brambleclaw whispered.

His half-brother flicked his tail, "Like Tigerstar said, that was back in the forest! Listen Brambleclaw, ShadowClan has always been a nuisance; don't you think life would be better if they settled down with a leader that would make sure they stuck to the warrior code? Don't you think you could do a better job leading WindClan than Onestar? Together, we could make sure every cat in the forest was strong and happy. No more battles…no more quarrels over territory…" Hawkfrost explained.

"Well, maybe." Brambleclaw could not argue with the vision Hawkfrost set in his mind. It was true that two strong leaders could rule the forest for the good of every cat. He remembered how ShadowClan had ignored Berrykit's cries for help when he was caught in a fox trap. _If I were in charge_, he thought, _no cat would ever watch a kit in pain without trying to help, no matter where the kit came from! _He wanted every cat in the forest to be cared for, but more than anything, he wanted what was best for ThunderClan. "But-"A faint cry interrupted him, "What was that?" Brambleclaw shrieked.

Hawkfrost shrugged, "Some unlucky bit of prey." The cry came again.

"No! That is a cat in trouble! Come on, we have to help him!" Brambleclaw exclaimed. He dived out of the ferns and pelted to where the cry came from. I came again, closer, but fainter. A horrible choking sound followed after. Brambleclaw leaped of a root of a tree and found himself face to face with Firestar.

The ThunderClan leader lay on his side on a narrow path between ferns. Foam flicked his muzzle, around his neck was a thin, shiny tendril leading to a stick driven to the earth.

Firestar was caught in a fox trap!  
Bramble claw leaped forward to help him, only to be thrust into a tree by Hawkfrost's powerful broad shoulder. "Mouse brain!" The RiverClan warrior hissed. "This is your chance, Brambleclaw! If Firestar dies you'll be Clan leader!"

Brambleclaw stared at his half brother in astonishment. _What is he telling me to do? _Then he realized Firestar was trying to speak.

"Birchpaw told me…Blackstar waiting on our territory…had to come alone." Firestar chocked.

Hawkfrost's ice blue eyes gleamed with triumph as he padded down to Firestar and bent down to whisper in his ear. "But Blackstar isn't here. _We_ are. You are a fool, Firestar. You were too easy to trap."

Brambleclaw felt the ground dip beneath his paws, he couldn't grasp the details, only that the absence of Blackstar and the ShadowClan scent on Hawkfrost added up to something murderously evil, "You did this!" he accused his half brother. "You arranged for Firestar to be here where a fox trap was waiting."

"Of course!" Hawkfrost sounded scornful. "I did this for you!"

Firestar's flanks heaved as he fought for breath, his gaze flicked from Hawkfrost to Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw could see that if he did not loosen the wire at once his leader would lose a life or more. Hawkfrost stepped back, he sneered "The brave ThunderClan leader! Not so powerful now, are you? Come on, Brambleclaw! Finish him off!"

Brambleclaw felt as though his paws were frozen to the Earth. Every hair on his pelt stood on end as he hears Tigerstar whisper in his ear, "Kill him! No cat will know! You can be Clan leader! You can have everything you ever wanted!"

He staggered backwards as Hawkfrost gave him a vicious nudge, his tail lashing angrily. "What are you waiting for? This is what we wanted all along! Kill him now!"

No cat knew what happened next, except Hawkfrost, Brambleclaw, and Tigerstar's sprit, because just then, Firestar had slipped into unconsciousness.

Leafpool walked out of the nursery, she just fed Sorreltail, and her paws felt heavy with the new prophecy…_what does it mean…what about the stars?_ She walked to the medicine cat's den at the other side of the clearing. Her thoughts flashed to a certain WindClan tom. _I still love him…but how does he feel about me? _Leafpool would have wonder further into her thoughts but, then she heard paws rumble outside her den.

Squirrelflight stepped in her den. "Hi, Leafpool! Isn't it a great day outside?"

Leafpool's thought could not concentrate on her sister. Her thoughts moved on.

Then, she scented blood.

Her amber eyes widened. "Leafpool? What is wrong?" Squirrelflight meowed.

"Something bad is happening! Badgers, twolegs, rogues, I do not know! Have you seen anything? Leafpool cried.

"No…" Squirrelflight rested her tail on her sister to calm her. "Everything is fine! I am trying to find Brambleclaw, that annoying furball went out without me! I've been trying to follow his scent…but I lost it…" Squirrelflight said sadly.

"No! Everything is not fine! ThunderClan is in grave danger." The certainty of her terror rippled through Leafpool's pelt and struck cold through her bones. "Will you come with me?" asked Leafpool.

"Of course! Where are we going?" meowed Squirrelflight.

"I don't know!" Leafpool's voice rose, "Oh, StarClan! Show us the way!

She and Squirrelflight had hardly walked out of Leafpool's den, when Ashfur pelted into the clearing. His fur stood on end and his dark blue eyes were wild with fear, "Leafpool! Squirrelflight! It is Firestar! He is caught in a fox trap!" he gasped.

"Where? Why didn't you free him?" Squirrelflight demanded, her green eyes blazing.

"Because he's…" Ashfur has gasping for air as if he had just dragged himself out of deep water, "Brambleclaw is there…Hawkfrost is with him! A RiverClan cat in our territory! I could not take them both out at once! So, I had to come back for help." He pointed his tail toward the lake. "That way! Hurry!"

Mothwing picked up some marigold from the moss covered rock in the medicine cat's den. She walked out to Ripplepaw and Beechpaw, who were lying on a nest of bracken and moss. Mothwing dropped some marigold in front of Willowpaw, who dropped her own. She looked down at the two apprentices and their wounds, the two had been play fighting too close to the river. When Beechpaw pushed Ripplepaw to show that he won, but instead of Ripplepaw falling on the ground, he fell off the edge bring Beechpaw down with him.

"Willowpaw," Mothwing said to her apprentice, "dress Beechpaw's leg with this marigold, and then get cobwebs, horsetail, and poppy seeds. I will do Ripplepaw."

Willowpaw nodded, and began to dress the young apprentice's wound, while her mentor did Ripplepaw. "Is he going to be alright?" said a sweet voice. Mothwing turned her head to see Reedwhisker; the black tom's blue eyes were filled with worry. Mothwing's amber eyes locked with his and she could not look away.

When she finally escaped his gaze, she felt lost in her mind and stumbled in her words, "He...he'll be okay…he…he's lucky…that Misty…foot found…um…him when she did…er…or he would've…gotten inflicted…I mean…infected." Mothwing felt embarrassment heat her pelt.

Reedwhisker laughed, "Well, that's good! I'll go get you some prey." He licked Mothwing's ear before rushing to the fresh kill pile. Mothwing's pelt burned with embarrassment.

She quickly finished Ripplepaw's wound and gave him poppy seeds. Willowpaw was already done, so Willowpaw crawled into her nest and the apprentice quickly fell asleep. Rippletail returned with a large fish and dropped it at Mothwing's paws.

Mothwing had not even looked at him squarely, but already felt his presence, "Th-thank…yo...u." she sputtered. Once again, Reedwhisker laughed a sweet tone. Then, left her den.

She quickly ate her fish, then, walked over to Leopardstar's den. "Leopardstar? Have you seen Hawkfrost?" Mothwing asked.

Then, she heard a rustle of moss and twigs as the spotted golden tabby emerged from her den; she sat by the entrance and started to wash herself. "No. Last I saw him, he had gone out hunting." She stopped washing and looked at the medicine cat, "Why?"

Mothwing froze, "N-nothing I was just wondering." She bowed her head and stalked away to her own den. Her words with StarClan wandered through her mind.

_Mothwing lapped the crystal water of the Moonpool, a cold sensation swept through her as she laid down to rest. She woke to find herself on a grassy plain, in front of her was a river and she could see boulders piled on top of each other. _Sunning rocks! _Mothwing thought. _But how? I fell asleep at the Moonpool! How am I at the old territory?

"_Why, Mothwing, what are you doing here?" said a voice, it was caring and full of wisdom, which reminded her of someone who she missed deeply. "What happened to 'I don't believe in StarClan'? You are right here with me because of it's great powers." Mothwing looked behind her; a long haired, light brown tom stared at her with joy filling his eyes. _

_"Mudfur!" she yowled as she ran up to his deceased mentor. "How are you here? How am I here? How did this happen? How _could_ this happen" she pressed her nose into his fur and the scent of the old medicine cat's den filled her nose. Herbs and berries mixed with the scent of WindClan, but also one not familiar to her. It was not any of the Clans, rogues or kittypets. "I missed you!" She opened her yes and stared into Mudfur's amber ones. She smelt his coat again. A beautiful new leaf day with the sun warm on your fur, a cool night with a soft breeze and Silverpelt handing over you, a swim in the river on a warm day, the first snow in leave bare, it was all the good things on one cat's pelt._

_"What is that scent on you?" Mothwing asked turning from Mudfur's pelt and sat in front of her former mentor. _

_"Why, Mothwing," he said a smile gleaming in his eyes as he sat down, "It is the scent of StarClan, and the powers of that Clan lies the answers to all your questions. Mothwing stared at her mentor._

_"What are you talking about!" she yowled, "StarClan doesn't exist! This-this is just some dream!" she looked up at her old mentor. She lifted up one golden paw and bit it, hard._

_The world went black and the last thing she heard was Mudfur's voice, "Mothwing, remember StarClan! I will help you when every need it!"_

Mothwing had woken with teeth marks and blood over her paw, the taste of blood has fresh in her mouth, even though she won't admit it, she remembered the feel of Mudfur's pelt and the wind on her fur that night. _It was just a good dream…a very good one!_

Hawkfrost has been done since sunrise and wasn't back yet. She hoped he wasn't off with Brambleclaw…he could be doing something very bad if he was with his ThunderClan half brother.

Mothwing shook the thought away and drifted off to sleep.

Crowfeather looked over the stream, into ThunderClan territory. He couldn't stop thinking about their medicine cat, Leafpool. Her scent was always on his nose, a mix of ThunderClan and sweet herbs. No matter how far apart they were, or how long it had been since they last saw each other, He would always look for her at gatherings or when he was on patrol along the ThunderClan border, and when he hunted. Every time, everywhere.

Crowfeather saw her, everywhere. In dreams, he had visions of her, in the warriors' den, the nursery, the medicine cat's den, everywhere. They last met one moon ago, when they stopped seeing each other. About a moon before that the two had run away together, they were warned by Midnight, a stargazing badger, that her kin were attacking ThunderClan.

That night Leafpool's mentor, Cinderpelt, died, protecting a kitting queen from a attacking badger. Leafpool took it hard, saying it was her fault she died.

Soon, after that, Leafpool and Crowfeather met on accident. When his forbidden love told him, she had to take care of her Clan more than ever now. She needed to stop seeing the heartbroken WindClan warrior to regain her loyalty to her Clan. The news hit him like a stone the size of a full-grown warrior. Crowfeather was near hated in his Clan, but he wanted to be with the ThunderClan medicine cat more then anything else. She did not love him anymore. He wanted to say he loved her and would never forget her, but before he could stop himself, he said he said that they should stop meeting each other, and put all four paws in one Clan.

That was it.

He came up with a plan, he would stop thinking about Leafpool… he could not. Crowfeather started to walk away, and then turned back to ThunderClan territory. He wanted to leap over the stream and be with her. To tell her she loved him with all his heart and would do anything for her, he would tell her that he always loved her and always will. He shook the thought away and looked up into the sky.

"StarClan!" He yowled, "Join me and Leafpool together, so even when we're away, we will always be connected!"

Crowfeather looked away, and walked to WindClan camp. Thinking of Leafpool the whole way back.

Little did he or any other cat know, StarClan already joined them together. Forever.

Tawnypelt raced through the trees and made it just in time. The sun was falling down to make a beautiful sunset. She let of a smile. She never missed a good sunset on the lake.

Tawnypelt lay down and loved the way the breeze rippled through her fur. There was only one thing that gnawed at her stomach, right then, she hated it.

Blackstar was gone.

He has been gone since sunrise, he had disappeared after going on a patrol. The other cats in the patrol said he was off with "leader" duties! Who ever heard of a leader having to leave his camp on edge because of "leader" duties!

"Mouse dung!" Said the ShadowClan warrior aloud, "We just move to a new territory and our leader decides to abandon us?"

"You should be in camp, it's getting late." Said a voice.

Even before Tawnypelt turned around, she knew where the voice came from, Rowanclaw. The ginger warrior had been following her everywhere, telling her to rest and eat, and taking her spot in patrols because she was sleeping. He was a burr in her pelt.

"Rowanclaw, leave me alone for once." She said turning to meet Rowanclaw's eyes. "I don't need to watch over me, I can take care of myself."

Rowanclaw's ears flattened against his ginger head. "I… I'm sorry." He said, staring at his paws. "I just… wanted to make sure you're alright. I, um… worry about you."

Tawnypelt bit back the reply,_ just leave me alone and stay away from me! I don't need you in my life!_ Instead, she turned around to face the sun and closed her eyes as these words escaped from her mouth. "I'm sorry for yelling, come lie next to me and watch the sunset." _Those were the WRONG words!_

Rowanclaw's ears shot up and his eyes gleamed with happiness, "Thank you! Thank you!" he quickly lay down next to her and stared into her deep green eyes. "So... how are you?"

Their idle conversation went on for a bit until the sky turned purple and the two were hardly able to keep their eyes open.

"It is getting dark…he should head to camp." Tawnypelt mewed. Rowanclaw nodded and they both walked silently most of the way back to camp. "I never tanked you all the times that you covered for me when I got in trouble as an apprentice…or when you take my place on patrols…" Tawnypelt could not believe what she was saying.

"I know you don't mean it…you hate me don't you?" Rowanclaw mewed…his voice was so soft she could barely hear him. Tawnypelt had not expected that.

"I-I…" Tawnypelt found herself with nothing to say, "You…I-I…I mean it Rowanclaw…I like you…you are…a sweet cat…" She found herself saying.

Rowanclaw's eyes flashed with anger. "You don't have to lie!" He hissed. "If you want me to just shrivel up and die tell me! And I will!" His voice got softer, "I'll do anything for you." The ginger warrior rushed through the pine trees and into ShadowClan camp without turning back.

Tawnypelt sighed, _what does he want from me? He is an enjoyable tom._ Realization clicked in her mind._ Does he want me to be more than a friend? His _mate_?_ She shuddered at the thought._ Before I will even think of him as a good friend, he has to learn I can take care of myself._

Tawnypelt looked ahead of her and she froze. If she had walked a foxtail farther, she would have been in ThunderClan territory! The thought of the forest Clan reminded her of her brother, Brambleclaw, the new deputy. Only a few sunrises ago she met him in her dreams, along with their RiverClan half brother Hawkfrost, and their father Tigerstar.

Brambleclaw had sided with their evil father and his untrustworthy half brother despite Tawnypelt sense. She hoped nothing would happen to her brother and he would stop being such a mouse brain. He _had_ to stop listening to Tigerstar! Alternatively, he would end up just like him, his life ended by a supposed Clan leader with one swipe of his dogteeth claws!

Tawnypelt turned back to her territory; she looked back once, and prayed to StarClan Brambleclaw was all right.

WF: That was awesome! –Gets all sparkle eyed- Anyway, did anyone see the cheese pizza I ordered?

Berrykit: Wha? This is yours?

WF: Evil baby kitten! My pizza! Now we can share! La La La! –skips over to Berrykit and enjoyably eats her pizza-

IC: I really thought you were gonna say, 'It's okay Crowy! Leafpool loves you she-' and you were going to spoil so I would have to shut you up.

WF: Yeah I know isn't that cool and your name kinda sucks but still!

Berrykit: And I become a WARRIOR!

IC: My name sucks?

WF: Huh? I was spoiling Berrykit!

IC: Oh, well readers, if anyone knows Reedwhisker's and Rowanclaw's eye color please tell us. We would appreciate it.

WF: ooo and before we go I wanted to say that *sniff* don't judge me by my profile… I am very slow! It is in progress…ya know what? Don't even click on it! It is SO embarrassing!

IC: Mines the same way, but you can click on it! Wildfire! Now you need to say R&R!

WF: Whaddays that mean?

IC: Read and Review! You know what? Just forget it, b-

WF: Wait I wanna end… So long farewell I'll see you-

IC: SHUT UP! Okay, readers, wait for the next chapter that will be up in a while, _The Decision._

WF: And in 5, 4, 3- -FLASH, blank screen-

WF: What the HECK! Camera dude! I didn't get to one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. StarClan cats do not have wings, Wildfire is just an idiot.

From, your favorite of the two, Iceclaw.

P.S. #2 YOU'RE MEAN! Anyway, in your reviews please vote who is your favorite of us! Just if ya didn't know, Wildfire and Iceclaw are your choices…OH and only vote once each chapter.


	2. The Decision

The Beaten Path

Wildfire: Sorry this chapter is so late! We had it all planned out, but I went to my Grandmother's funeral in the Bahamas.

Iceclaw: Yeah, so boring without you, so not fun!

WF: Aww gee, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

IC: -Sigh- You're an idiot. Let's get on with the chapter.

WF: Okaydokies, we're changing the PoVs here, so it'll be interesting.

IC: We try to do that every chapter, you imbecile. The following names are our PoVs for this chapter, cats, if your name is called come on stage! From RiverClan we have Reedwhisker and Hawkfrost! From WindClan we have Ashfoot! ShadowClan there is Rowanclaw! In ThunderClan, the spotlight is on Ashfur! –Said cats enter stage and sit down-

WF: And we're gonna have our first OPY!

IC: OPY? What does that mean?

WF: Ya know the thingy that you make up? The thing? The thing that is not really part of the story?

IC: -sigh- you mean an OC?

WF: Whatevs! –turns to audience- Everybody dance now!

Audience: Ummm…

Cloudtail: -jumps onto stage and leaps into audience and tries to surf the crowd- Oh yeah! –Audience moves away from him and he falls flat on his nose- Hey! What in the name of StarClan! Meanies bo beanies!

WF: Aww come on you guys are so mean! You're no fun!

IC: Cloudtail stay down there!

WF: No reason to stop the music! –Disco music turns on-

Audience: Ehh, what the heck. –Starts dancing-

IC: Stop dancing! Little Croissant! Turn off the music!

Little Croissant: No way, man. This stuff is getting me ja-higaly.

WF: That's my man!

IC: Does anyone agree with me?

Mousefur: I do! Come on elders, this dancing is making my bones ache! Elders from all Clans! Lets turn this wretched music off!

Elders: Yeah! –Walk with Mousefur to the music switch and turn it off-

WF: Noooo! –Mumbles- Stupid friggin' elders.

IC: Okay, our OC will be a PoV, you'll see a rain of OCs when she comes on.

WF: Oooooo, you told them it was a girl…

IC: So? You told Berrykit he was gonna get a butt-ugly name!-ignores Wildfire- We will also will have a StarClan part, Spottedleaf will be the central PoV.

WF: Why are you ignoring me? You're supposed to be my friend! I'm calling a divorce!

IC: Wildfire, we aren't married.

WF: So what! I'm still a rock star! I got my rock moves! And I don't need you tonight!

IC: Um…okay… Let's get on with the story.

WF: Yeah, yeah.

IC: There will be a new couple introduced in this chapter, the couple is of our OCs. ?x?

WF: Come on Question Mark and Question Mark! Up on stage.

IC: Um, Wildfire, we used question marks because we _don't_ want them to come on stage, it's a secret of who they are!

WF: Ohh.

IC: Okay, Disclaimer: All characters in this chapter that you know belong to Erin Hunter, any you don't know belong to Wildfire45, and, partially, me, Iceclaw14.

WF: Wait!

IC: What?

WF: Can you give me some ketchup for my Big Mac?

IC: Uhhh… Chapter Two: The Decision.

WF: Wait! I still haven't had my ketchup! Waiter!

Spottedleaf ran to the circle of cats, her flanks were heaving and her breath was short.

"Sorry I'm late!" She gasped, "Larchkit just told me-"

"No time for excuses!" A blue-gray she-cat said, her piercing blue eyes bore into the former medicine cat. "We have something very important to discuss." The former ThunderClan leader flicked her tail to an open spot between Whitestorm and Yellowfang.

Spottedleaf sat down next to the white tom and dark grey she-cat. Yellowfang's orange eyes were searching every cat in the circle, Whitestorm's amber ones were filled with disbelief.

"Now that everyone is present," Said a black-and-white tom, "We can begin the meeting."

_Why is Tallstar here? It's a ThunderClan meeting right? _Spottedleaf wondered, _does this concern all four Clans? _Spottedleaf looked around to the gazing cats. _Yes, it does._

"Yes," Said Bluestar, "Spottedleaf," She said turning to the dark tortoiseshell. "Did you tell Leafpool about the prophecy?"

Spottedleaf felt her skin redden, she tried to open her mouth, but no words came out. She wanted to nod, but that would be a lie. To shake her head would be partially right, and partially wrong.

"Well? Speak up!" Said Yellowfang loudly, her broad face was turned to Spottedleaf.

_What should I do? This prophecy concerned all four Clans and I can't even deliver a message right? What kind of medicine cat am I? _A laugh came in the distance, and light paw steps. _Oh great,_ thought Spottedleaf, _he decides to show up._

"You mean you don't know?" Said the voice, "the all-mighty former leader of ThunderClan doesn't know?" The cats turned to see a black-and-white tom walking toward them, his pale amber eyes glittering with mischief.

"Who allowed _you_ to be here, Swiftpaw?" Said Bluestar.

"Since when did I need a pass just to be in your all-mighty presence?" Swiftpaw mocked, "You are dead now, so am I, we're even, you have no control over me." Swiftpaw had a certain hatred to Bluestar. He still blamed her for his death. He told the kits of StarClan to call him Swiftwind. When Bluestar joined StarClan she told him she was going to name him that. Obviously, he still respected Bluestar, or maybe he just liked the name.

Bluestar seemed taken aback by his words, but nodded numbly and pointed with her tail to an open seat between Stonefur and Nightstar. Swiftpaw obliged and sat between the two StarClan cats.

"Now, Spottedleaf," he said turning to the she-cat, his pale amber eyes met Spottedleaf amber eyes. " Why don't you tell us about what happened with Leafpool, or shall I?"

"How would you know what happened?" Spottedleaf said in disbelief.

"Now don't tell me there is a rule about knowing what's going to happen on your former Clan? I still care about it." His voice had a fake innocence to it, and his eyes matched.

"Why you little-"

"Ah ah ah," Swiftpaw said, "You are in deep water already, I'm sure you don't want to drown."

"Stop!" Yowled Crookedstar, "we don't have time for this. Spottedleaf, tell us what happened, or we'll have Swiftpaw do it for you."

Spottedleaf took a deep breath, exhaled. She closed her eyes, then opened them, every cat was looking at her.

"I was able to tell Leafpool the main part of the prophecy,_ a beaten path will be walked once again, led by kin, followed by kin._ The stars were there, doing exactly what we saw them doing. Then when I began to say the last part, I felt a presence, Tigerstar came."

Yowls of confusion sprang from the crowd, gasps were heard, and everyone turned to Spottedleaf.

"Is it true?" Asked Stonefur, he was killed brutally and unfairly by Blackstar and Darkstripe on Tigerstar's orders because he was half Clan. His hatred toward him was much higher than the amount of others. "Does Tigerstar know the prophecy?"

Spottedleaf nodded. More gasps were heard from the crowd. Swiftpaw was speechless.

"With his presence he took the prophecy from the star and escaped to the Dark Forest **(A/N: People say it is called Place of No Stars, but this matches and sounds cooler) **with it." Spottedleaf said, "Tigerstar know every single word of the prophecy, and what the stars mean. Because of him I couldn't tell all of the prophecy to Leafpool, we can't tell her in dreams because Tigerstar can come and make that impossible. He has the power to destroy the prophecy completely, or change it in anyway it seems fit."

"We need to tell her the prophecy using signs." Said Deadfoot. "She needs to know the prophecy! This prophecy concerns all four Clans. We need to tell the medicine cats of all Clans!"

"Calm down, Deadfoot." Tallstar said while placing his tail on his former deputy's shoulder, "Your idea of warning the medicine cats of all Clans by using signs is a good one. Though we have one slight problem with that."

"Tigerstar could mess up the signs," answered Silverstream, "Or he could just adjust the prophecy so we would be telling the wrong things."

"Precisely," Said Bluestar, "what should we do?"

"We should tell the medicine cats anyway," responded Yellowfang, "Tigerstar should have no power over how our signs look, our medicine cats may take it wrong, but that has happened before. If Tigerstar does adjust the prophecy we can send new message's to the Clans. It's our best chance."

Spottedleaf's head was spinning. Yellowfang's answer seemed the best, but it wasn't fool proof. Tigerstar had so much power in this situation!

"We should do as Yellowfang says," Spottedleaf responded, "it is our best choice."

The crowd yowled in agreement. "Alright, if it's what's best for my Clan." Tallstar said. His words seemed to speak for everyone.

Spottedleaf could only hope that it was the best choice.

Hawkfrost watched as his half brothers gaze flickered from his to his unconscious leader and back again. Brambleclaw's claws flexed in and out. His amber eyes reflected that of Tigerstar's spirit standing next to him, the former ShadowClan leader was trying to whisper many different ways to slaughter Firestar into his sons ear, but Brambleclaw shook him off. His eyes were full of emotion and he had to make a decision fast. The ThunderClan deputy sprang forward and began to dig out the stick driven deep in the ground that was keeping the ginger tom pinned down.

"What are you doing?" Yowled Hawkfrost, head butting Brambleclaw's flank, slamming him into bracken. "Don't free him! _Kill _him!"

Brambleclaw turned to his half-brother amber eyes glittering and a sneer forming around his lips, showing his snow-white teeth (**A/N: OMG! Brambleclaw brushes his teeth every morning, flosses and uses mouthwash! From Stanley's Steamers *Stanley's Steamers make carpets cleaner!*…SHUT UP WILDFIRE!)** "I think I'll do that," he sneered, Hawkfrost's ice blue eyes widened in surprise and Brambleclaw laughed, "except, I think I'll kill _you_ instead."

The RiverClan warrior was in shock when Brambleclaw attacked. He head butted him in the flank, but with only enough strength to stun him. Before the tom could recover Brambleclaw quickly lashed out this claws and swiped his half brothers side, digging deep into his flesh. Hawkfrost let out a yowl of pain just before Brambleclaw swiped at his face. Hawkfrost's eyes filled with blood, he clawed the air blindly, hoping to catch the ThunderClan tom. Brambleclaw was behind Hawkfrost, with Tigerstar breathing down his neck.

"What are you doing?" The dead tom said to his son, "You're killing the wrong cat here!" Tigerstar's eyes glimmered with realization, "wait, I see where you're going. Don't kill Hawkfrost yet, he has many supporters and you'll have a better start with him around. If you want to rule by yourself wait a bit. You have to strategize."

"Shut up," responded Brambleclaw, "I know what I'm doing." Tigerstar just nodded and left.

Luckily, Hawkfrost had not heard their conversation and his senses were still numb from the surprise attack. Brambleclaw whipped out his back legs, hitting Hawkfrost on the other side. He was pushed to the ground by the tremendous weight of the deputy, Hawkfrost turned on his stomach so he was laying on his side, looking into Brambleclaw's amber eyes glittering with triumph.  
Hawkfrost couldn't hold out much longer, he had large wounds around his body and Brambleclaw didn't have a scratch on him . "You are nothing but I coward!" Hawkfrost spat, "Just finish me off!" Hawkfrost tried swiped at Brambleclaw's nose, but he was too far away.

"Hawkfrost stop! I won't kill Firestar and you won't either. Don't you see? This is wrong! Tigerstar is an evil cat!" Brambleclaw shouted as he backed away from Hawkfrost.

"Oh please! Don't be ridiculous! You can be leader! Isn't that what you always wanted! Besides, your precious little leader is unconscious! No one here but me." Hawkfrost screeched.

Without a word, Brambleclaw leaped until he was standing directly over Hawkfrost, he reached for the stick from the fox trap and aimed it at his half brother's throat. Hawkfrost knew what would happen next, Brambleclaw would slay him with the stick and not kill Firestar and wait patiently until Firestar dies to become leader. Hawkfrost closed his eyes and waited for the pain. After a few seconds with no pain, Hawkfrost opened his eyes.

Brambleclaw dropped the stick.

Time froze.

He swiped at Hawkfrost and held him on the ground. "Get away! Go!" Brambleclaw yowled.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"I'll kill you, I'll make sure I return to RiverClan with your body between my teeth." Brambleclaw sneered. "Now scram!"

Hawkfrost had no choice, from the looks of where this battle was going he knew where it would end. "I'll find you again. And when I do, you're dead!" Hawkfrost meowed as we pelted toward the outward forest. _It was his decision, not mine to make. I will find him again. I will._

Hawkfrost turned to see that he was far beyond any Clan territory, he was safe. He collapsed to the ground, breathing hard._ Am I to die like this?_ He thought, _killed by my half brother, trying to do some good for him?_

His memory skidded back to all those times when Mothwing would say all the names and uses of herbs aloud. He closed his eyes and focused, 'Cobwebs stop bleeding, borage prevents fever and helps queens make milk…' He opened his eyes, _cobwebs, cobwebs… _Luckily, ahead of him was a fern covered with cobwebs, and a pond directly behind it. Hawkfrost limped carefully over to the fern, trying not to spill any more blood.

Hawkfrost began pulling the cobwebs from the fern and sloppily clogging his wound with them. His mind was else where. _I'm not a RiverClan cat anymore,_ he thought, _I'm a rogue. Though once I am healed, I will march straight into ThunderClan camp and kill Brambleclaw, even if I have to do it more than once, or I don't come out alive._ His thoughts swayed to his half brother, Brambleclaw had had the perfect chance to kill Hawkfrost with the stick from the fox trap. _Why didn't he?_

The now rogue's mind swirled, he had thought Brambleclaw had given up on Tigerstar's dream and decided to be a good little kitty. Something else was happening, but Hawkfrost couldn't put his paw on it.

"You mousebrain!" A voice yowled, the pondering tom turned to see his father's ghostly form appearing in front of him. "What is wrong with you? Don't you see?" Tigerstar's amber eyes were glittering with rage. Hawkfrost only shook his head, he meant to nod, but it seemed to come out wrong. "Answer this, why didn't Brambleclaw kill you?"

"He was too afraid?" Hawkfrost answered and asked.

"No! He is a strong cat, stronger than you, but his loyalty to that kittypet is blinding him to what he really wants." Tigerstar said, "Don't you see? He didn't kill you, that means he still hasn't made up his mind about what he should do. We can still get him on our side."

The gears in Hawkfrost's head were spinning. Tigerstar slowly disappeared, with happiness glimmering in his eyes. The living cat turned back to his wounds and dressed them more neatly this time, he rose to his paws, wincing as he did so, and limped to the pool of water. He collapsed beside it and lapped much of the water. He stared into the pool, hoping to spot lunch, a large fish was at the top of the surface. Hawkfrost raised his paw, and grabbed the fish from the water and placing it beside him, he quickly bit its neck and gorged it down. He dug a hole and buried the bones, hoping no cat would notice the upturned dirt.

This was rogue territory. A band of rogues live here. They probably have one leader, though they all fend for themselves. He could scent them in the air, he needed to leave quickly. He could be found and challenged to fight, he would lose pitifully if that happened. They might take him to their leader, and he might decide to have him killed. _Or_ he might want the former warrior to join them. If Hawkfrost were to have a band of strong cats on his side with no ties to the Clans, he would be able to defeat them, and rule over them, maybe with Brambleclaw.

Hawkfrost stood and began to limp even farther away from Clan territory. The place where he was had the strong scent of the rouges. He hoped to find somewhere close to them so he could know how they live, but somewhere where they didn't go often so he wouldn't be found.

Hawkfrost's ice blue eyes glittered, soon, he would have an army, and destroy the Clans.

________________________________________________________________________

A cream colored she-cat pounced on the unsuspecting pigeon. It didn't have time to squeal before the she-cat bit down hard on its neck. Off in the distance she heard and squawk and looked above her to see a chaffinch flying away. She turned around and dropped her catch into a fairly large pile consisting of three voles and one plump squirrel.

"I'll get you one day!" Yowled a voice that came from the same place where the chaffinch had flown away. "You will be mine! In my stomach!"

The cream colored she-cat only laughed and turned to the sky, the sun was setting. A beautiful orange haze cast around the sun, making the clouds appear to be changing color. "Come on Penny!" She yowled, "Its getting late! You can get that chaffinch tomorrow!"

Out of some bracken fronds emerged a light brown she-cat with a white underbelly. Her tail was twitching back and forth and her green eyes were narrow slits.

"I swear that chaffinch is stalking me!" Said Penny, turning to the sky, "that was the very same chaffinch that scratched my head when I was a kit! Everyday it teases me, saying I can't hunt and never will be able to! 'Ya can't catch me ya flea bitten mongrel!' it says."

The cream she-cat rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure. Where are you pieces of fresh-kill?"

Penny faced the ground and shuffled her paws, her tail drooping.

"Don't tell me you didn't catch anything, Penny." Said the she-cat, "This would be the third sunrise in a row!"

"I'm sorry, Beau." She said, turning to face the other she-cat, "you know I can't hunt! You got so much prey! Don't you think you could spare a vole or two?"

"Fine, fine," Beau said picking up here pigeon and squirrel, "take the three voles, but I'm not covering for you next time."

Penny's tail shot right up, "Thank you Beau! You won't ever have to do this again!"

_Sure…_ Thought Beau, Penny's hunting skill were horrible, to put it nicely. She couldn't catch a vole even if it was right in front of her nose, twenty moons old, deaf, blind and has a limp in all four legs. Maybe on a good day she's get close. Usually Beau would have to catch a animal and break two of its legs than put it directly in Penny's path, so she would come back to camp with some prey. Sometimes she would have to kill it first.

After a small amount of walking, the two she-cats reached their den, no, nest would fit it better. In their band you would spend the first part of your life with your siblings, when or if you get a mate the two will move out of their old nests and make a new one, where you would both live.

Penny and Beau weren't actually sisters, Penny's mother, Snake, had died when she was still a small kit when a fox attacked. Penny had to move in with Beau and her mother, Flower. Beau actually had two brothers, Stone and Hail, but they had died during the same attack.

Their nest was just a large, flat bed of moss. It was lined with ferns and a hawk feather. The feather was actually Penny's. Before Penny was born, Snake was hunting a vole when a eagle attacked her. Snake, being small, was flown foxtails of the ground as the eagle was raising her higher and higher, digging its sharp talons deep into her shoulder. Snake was going to give up when she was freed from the eagle's grasp, and landed softly onto the ground. She turned around to see her savior, a large dark brown tom with a golden face and underbelly by the name of Griffin. His eyes were large and golden, that was the last thing Snake saw before going unconscious. Griffin stayed with her night and day, slowly nursing her back to health. When she was finally healed, she asked Griffin what happened. He told her and showed her a feather from the eagle. He told her that the feather had fallen from the sky and landed on his nose, which made him look up and see Snake in the sky. After that Griffin joined the band of rogues and the two became mates. Just a few sunrises before Penny was born, Griffin died because of a deadly cough known as Kanona.

The reason it is called Kanona is because the first cat to have ever gotten it was a she-cat named Kanona. She had gotten the worst of it. All deadly symptoms. She lived very long despite it, and found the only know cure, which only works on one cat out of every six. It is a purple-black colored berry, she had only returned to camp with it before she died, as though she had to live long enough to find a cure. The berry was named after her, Kanona Berries; the cure had not worked for Griffin.

Or at least that was the story she was told.

Beau dropped her fresh-kill on the ground, she pulled back her pigeon and was going to sit down and eat her prey, just before Penny took her fresh kill and walked right out of their den. Beau grabbed her pigeon and pelted after her.

"Where are you going?" Beau said, her voice muffled.

"To see Fox," She responded.

Beau sighed, Fox was a tom. More than a tom to Penny ,though, he was her savior, what she lives for. Every time he passed by she would seem to drop dead. According to the love struck she-cat, they have been together for a few moons now, and any day he would make his move and they would become mates.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you." Beau responded.

Penny only nodded. She sped up her pace until she came to a large clearing. Even though cats lived and fended for themselves, they were still a band, when a she-cat got pregnant they would move to a large cave with other expecting or nursing she-cats. They would have two strong cats to guard them all the time. Kits were very important. The clearing was where cats would come and mingle, in case their was a battle it would be better if the cats knew something about who was fighting beside them.

On the other side of the clearing was Fox. He is a sleek, ginger colored tom with a bushy tail with a white tip. His amber eyes were searching the clearing, when he spotted Penny, he seemed to get smaller. Penny pelted over to Fox and laid down beside him, he didn't look at her, just stared down at his paws.

"I brought you a vole, sweetie." Said Penny, pushing a vole in front of Fox.

"T-th-thank you." He stuttered.

"Hey, Beau," said Penny, turning to face the cream colored she-cat, "would you mind leaving us alone for a moment. I would like to talk to Fox privately."

Beau nodded and walked away from the two cats, walking into a fern. Far enough away so that Penny and Fox wouldn't hear her, but close enough so that she would know what was going on. Beau could have sworn she heard a nervous gulp coming from the direction of the two rogues. But how could she be sure?

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Fox said, still not looking at Penny.

"Well, I wanted to confess something." She responded, wrapping her tail around the ginger tom.

"What?" He responded, he looked up at her, their eyes meeting for a moment before Fox looked back at the ground and took a small bite of his vole. Beau bit into her pigeon, it was getting interesting now.

"Do you have anything to say first?" Penny said.

"Umm… yeah, I do." said Fox. One more bite, getting more interesting.

"Well, tell me." Penny responded, her voice full of hope.

Fox gulped, "I-um…- I…" he closed his eyes, inhaled, and said the last part in one breath, "You have to stop hanging around me 'cause I have a mate named Daffodil and she is going to have my kits any day now and I don't love you!"

Time froze.

Beau's jaw seemed to have died; her mouth was hanging open with a half-chewed piece of pigeon on her tongue.

Penny leaped out of her spot and ran out of the clearing without a look back. Beau quickly sprang up, she pelted out of the fern and shot Fox fangs and sharp claws. **(A/N: pretty much shooting daggers, just cat version)** She stormed out of the clearing and into Penny's and her den. Penny was already there, lying on her nest, clutching her feather.

"Penny…" Beau started.

"You heard didn't you?" She said, her voice was full of sadness. Beau nodded. "I hate that piece of foxdung! What was I thinking? He's not my feather!"

"No," Beau said, "he's not, he's your eagle."

"What do you mean? He broke my heart and took the pieces with him. He's probably going to go give them to Daffodil." She said the last word in a high pitched voice.

"You aren't thinking about it right." Beau responded, shaking her head, "the eagle lifted Snake into the air and dropped the feather which caused Griffin to go and rescue Snake. The eagle made Snake vulnerable, the feather falls and brings Griffin and Snake together." Beau curled up beside the upset she-cat and licked her ear to comfort her.

"Since Fox is your hawk. That means your feather is coming soon; you just have to look. When you find your feather you will find your savior."

Penny looked up at Beau, her green eyes were wet from tears. "You really think so?"

"I'm sure." Beau said, "now lets forget about that mousebrain and get some sleep."

________________________________________________________________________

Reedwhisker limped into RiverClan camp, is mouth full of fresh fish. He dropped his fish into the fresh kill pile and picked a piece for himself. Dapplepaw and Mistyfoot did the same, except Mistyfoot walked over to Leopardstar. The spotted golden she-cat was grooming in front of her den, her tail twitching anxiously.

Leopardstar turned away from her fur and looked at her deputy. "Did you find him?" she asked, her amber eyes filled with worry. Mistyfoot shook her head.

"We followed his scent down to the lake. We lost it there." Mistyfoot said to her leader, her blue eyes filled with seriousness. "I think he washed off his scent down at the water. Maybe rolled in some otter-dung. Whatever he was doing, its out of RiverClan territory, and he doesn't want to be found."

The RiverClan leader sighed. Reedwhisker knew why. The patrol he went on was for hunting, but Leopardstar told them to look for Hawkfrost. Apparently that stupid mouse-brain had gone off hunting and has been gone for a while. He didn't even tell Mothwing where he was going!

Reedwhisker's thoughts jumped off a cliff then rolled to the bottom of a lake. The thought of the beautiful, golden tabby she-cat with those glorious amber eyes made him melt a thousand times over. He knew this was forbidden, but Reedwhisker loves her. He tried to make it seem like they were just close, or just Clanmates, but it was hard. He knew Mothwing loved him back, whether she realized it or not. Sometimes he wished this would all go away. That he would love a respected RiverClan she-cat that was not a medicine cat, such as Mosspelt, her former mate was dead, but she was a bit to antsy for Reedwhisker. Though other times, he wanted to be with Mothwing until he joined StarClan, where one day she would join him, too, he wanted to lie next to her, comfort her during her nightmares. Maybe… oh, just maybe, be the father of her kits. Be her mate, her lover, her friend, her guardian, her dream…

Reedwhisker had always liked Mothwing. Not as much as he did now, no, not even close. The day he realized that he loved her with all the power of StarClan was when she saved him that day he almost drowned in the river. He was fishing, but when he reached down to grab the soon-to-be-prey a large wave crashed over him. He was knocked off the rock, the young apprentice had tried to climb back on, but another wave had crashed on his head, sending him under water and being pushed away by the strong waves.

He knew actually Leafpool saved him, though then she was an apprentice to, Leafpaw. Actually, Mothwing had just become a medicine cat apprentice and had no idea what to do with a drowning tom. But without her he definitely wouldn't be alive. She had to tell the ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice she had no idea what she was doing and plead her to save the life of an apprentice that will grow up and fight ThunderClan and possibly kill her Clanmates, maybe her. Mothwing could have stayed quiet and tried to heal him herself, or she could have tried to bring him back to camp so Mudfur could look after him. But either way Reedwhisker would have died in a matter of minutes. Mothwing admitted her weakness to a cat of another Clan to save his life. Reedwhisker has a debt to the beautiful medicine cat that he would never be able to get close to paying off in nine lifetimes.

"Are you okay?" squeaked a small voice.

Reedwhisker's thoughts zoomed back to the present, Mothwing was in the back of his mind, for easy reach. The RiverClan warrior looked down to see a white she-cat, her large green eyes staring up at Reedwhisker. "What do you mean, Icepaw?" **(A/N: Yeah she's Icewing, I felt like putting her in so I did) **Reedwhisker asked.

"You've been kinda in a daze." She responded, "Once you got back from the patrol you've bumped into three cats and tripped over Dapplepaw, you ate most of the scales off your fish and you've been limping and living in another world."

"Oh," he said, "I haven't exactly been paying attention lately, I'm thinking about something."

"Obviously," Icepaw said, rolling her eyes. "You should have Mothwing look at that paw of yours, you have a pretty big thorn in there and you've been bleeding out of it. It could get infected."

Half of Reedwhisker's mind lightened up, while the other half seemed to heat up along with his skin. Seeing Mothwing sounded great. He would love to see her beautiful face, and his paw hurt. But what if she founded out about how he felt, or he completely embarrassed himself. He could picture himself walking into the medicine cats den, tripping on a rock and landing face first on Mothwing, making the sticky honey combs she was carrying stick to her fur and watching as the honey slowly ooze onto her perfect fur, making it stick together in clumps.

Then the side of his mind that was sizzling went through a quick leaf-bare and lightened like the other side. If that happened he would be able to groom Mothwing's beautiful fur, and she would smell like sweet honey.

"Isn't she busy with Ripplepaw and Beechpaw?" Reedwhisker said, trying not to be eager.

"They had poppy seeds and are sleeping like logs." Icepaw responded, "I think she gave them an overdose!" She whispered.

"Why would she do that?" Reedwhisker asked, why would sweet Mothwing do something like that to injured apprentices?

"You're such a mouse brain! Don't you know that Ripplepaw will never shut up? He's your own apprentice! Now get to the medicine cat den and have that paw looked at or I'll tell Leopardstar!"

Reedwhisker wasn't afraid of Icepaw's threat to tell RiverClan's leader, Leopardstar had her paws full already without some apprentice bothering her. The RiverClan tom looked defeated, his tail down and his ears flat against his head. Though his heart was soaring.

_I'll call it an excuse to go to Mothwing. I don't see why not!_ Thought Reedwhisker. His eyes sparkled with excitement. He walked as gracefully as he could in to the medicine cat's den. Reedwhisker had always tried to act flawless when he was around Mothwing. He could tell it was working by the look on Mothwing's face. Now, it was becoming a usual thing. He knew Mothwing was older than him, but he tried, since the day he found his feelings for her were real, to act ten times more mature than he really was.

"Who's there?" Mothwing asked from the corner of the den. She was mixing herbs as she turned to see who had walked in, "Oh! It's you!" she flustered, "Ripplepaw is f-fine. No need to check on him he is still sleeping- look at your paw! What'd you do?"

"Oh, I was walking…it's only a thorn. I was hoping you could get it out and wrap it up. You don't think I have an infection? I was out there for a pretty long time…" Reedwhisker found the words flowing out of his mouth, truthfully, he had no idea what he was saying. It was so easy to act mature and graceful around Mothwing.

"Hmmm…let me see…" Mothwing walked toward Reedwhisker as he lifted his paw so she could see, "Oh, that's an infection all right! Ouch! It looks like it hurts! I fix it up right away."

"Not really…it feels fine." Reedwhisker lied, the pain was actually unbearable, it hurt even more now. "If you're busy you can just do me later, I'm in no hurry."

"There is nothing more important than helping my Clanmates." Mothwing responded, "Reedwhisker, go and-" Mothwing's eyes opened in astonishment, she hadn't noticed it was him! What would she do now? "Um… lie d-down on-on th-that bed o-of moss." She stuttered while pointing her tail to a clump of moss in the corner of the den.

"Isn't that your bed?" Reedwhisker asked while looking around the den, two nests were filled with the sleeping apprentices and another had Willowpaw, the small pale gray tabby she-cat was curled up tightly in a ball, her tail over her nose. The only bed of moss left in the den was the one Mothwing pointed at.

"Well… yeah, b-but I'm s-sure that i-is bet-better than the fl-floor."

Reedwhisker nodded and took a step toward the bed. Instantly he felt pain course through his body, he collapsed to the floor. He tightly shut his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Asked Mothwing worriedly as she rushed over to lift Reedwhisker on the side of his infected paw, "Here let me help you." She said, "Lean on me, I'll help you get up and support you to my nest."

Reedwhisker had hardly heard Mothwing's words. The pain was horrible, it made his whole body feel numb. He tried to stand up but when he did he felt himself lean to one side and thought he would fall, he felt Mothwing on his side, pulling him up straight. "Lean on me," she whispered into his ear, "Just walk a fox-length and you'll be there."

Reedwhisker took small steps, relying on the RiverClan medicine cat to support him. When he had walked the required distance he stuck out one of his paws and felt the earth beneath him. It was soft, moss. Reedwhisker slowly laid down on the ground. He heard Mothwing's light paw steps at the other side of the den and the rustle of leaves and dried herbs as she prepared a poultice or whatever.

Reedwhisker slowly opened his blue eyes to see Mothwing chewing herbs. She spat them out on a dock leaf and quickly walked over to Reedwhisker. "Stick out your paw, and don't yowl."

Reedwhisker was about to ask why when his love placed both paws around the thorn and pressed down hard. Reedwhisker didn't have enough time to respond to this small pain when a larger one came. He looked to see Mothwing pulling out the thorn. Hard. Blood was quickly oozing out of the wound, it was pouring onto Mothwing's nest, soiling it. Mothwing gave the thorn on final hard tug. The thorn released its hold on Reedwhisker, the sudden force caused Mothwing to fall a few steps behind. She sprang back up and spat out the thorn, it was _huge._ Or at least in Reedwhisker's terms. It was the size of a fish's fin, maybe a bit more. Blood poured from his wound, covering the floor.

Mothwing was at her poultice, she wrapped it in the dock leaf, and skidded over to Reedwhisker with it. She quickly spat it out and unwrapped it. "Put this on your paw and make sure it gets into the wound." Her amber eyes were full of seriousness. "I didn't think the thorn was going to be _that_ big. Try to put pressure on the wound, you lost a lot of blood." Reedwhisker did as he was told as Mothwing skidded back to her herbs. She came back with cobwebs and marigold.

"Hold oue yor phaw." She said from behind the herbs. The injured RiverClan warrior held out his paw as Mothwing dressed it with the herbs. After the wound was taken care of and the two cats had calmed down Mothwing broke the silence. "I'm sorry." She said not meeting his eyes.

Reedwhisker blinked, "Why?"

"I hurt you." She said staring at her paws.

"What do you mean?" he asked, "You've healed me many times over."_ And you've completed my heart._

Reedwhisker saw a single tear hit the ground, "No, I hurt you!" Mothwing yowled. "I pulled out the thorn faster than I should've and all the blood spurted out! I hurt you! I shouldn't have done that!" He walked over to the upset she-cat and used his nose to lift up her maw, so their eyes would meet.

Blue meet amber in a perfect collision. Reedwhisker could see his reflection in the eyes of the cat he loved. The cat who was crying because she thought she hurt him.

"What are you talking about?" he said confidently, "If it were me in your position and you in mine I would have ripped out the thorn on the spot, not bothering about comfort. As long as you were okay and healed."

"Reedwhisker! I failed you!" She said, turning away from him, "I couldn't save you!"

"What do you mean?" He asked, "it was only a infected thorn, not a life or death situation."

"Not now!" She said, "then, when you were an apprentice. You almost _died_ because I didn't know anything! I had to ask for help from ThunderClan!" Several more tears hit the ground, some came from Reedwhisker as well. He remembered Mothwing's frustration that day, it was extremely high. "And I couldn't lose you." She whispered.

"What are you talking about?" He said, turning to the beautiful she-cat. "You are the bravest cat I have ever met in my life. You could've tried to heal me yourself, but you knew you weren't experienced enough. You told Leafpool of your weakness, which is braver than anything I would've done."

Mothwing turned around, and not knowing that Reedwhisker was there…

Their noses touched.

Time froze.

"Reedwhisker! Reedwhisker…I love you!" Mothwing said, not pulling away from his nose. "I was so nervous when you fell in the river! I thought the thorn would hurt you so I yanked it out. I love you! I can't lose you, ever."

This wasn't even close to the reaction Reedwhisker thought he would get. But that doesn't mean he didn't like this one. "I love you too Mothwing!" He said, "I've loved you too. I loves you from the start!" **(A/N: So hold your breath, because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you. Over again, don't make me change my mind!) **Reedwhisker happily responded, "I want to be with you every moment of my life."

"And so do I, every second of it."

Ashfoot gathered her hunting patrol, consisting of Nightcloud, Crowfeather and Tornear. Nightcloud was anxiously waiting for the patrol to leave and come back, she kept gazing at the warriors den, as though waiting for someone to emerge and run to her. _Ahh,_ thought Ashfoot, her eyes glittering, _Young love…_ **(A/N: OHH! Nightcloud is in love! Not with Crowfeather this time!)** "All right lets go." Said Ashfoot, leading her patrol out of camp.

"Look out!" Yowled Tornear, this statement was followed by a loud thump and a groan of pain. Ashfoot turned around to see a large mound of gray-black fur lying on the ground, moaning. Nightcloud and Tornear were leaning over the lump, pushing at it with their paws.

"Are you okay?" asked Nightcloud, pulling Crowfeather to his paws. Ashfoot, upon realizing who/what the lump was, rushed toward the members of her patrol. She lifted her son up the rest of they way. "What did you do?" she asked, motherly.

"I tripped," he responded, "over a rock."

"What do you mean 'tripped over a rock?'" Tornear said, "Were on the moor incase you haven't noticed. There are no rocks. You tripped over your own paws! I saw it!" Ashfoot was definitely not surprised.

"Come on, get up." She snorted, "you're alright, lets continue with our hunt." Ashfoot knew that Crowfeather was not just not watching where his paws, he wasn't even in WindClan. He was on the other side of the stream, in ThunderClan, with Leafpool, his _mate._

A rabbit zipped in front of the WindClan deputy and she started a mad chase after it. Crowfeather didn't tell WindClan, or even Ashfoot, his own mother, for that matter that he had mated with Leafpool. But the pale gray she-cat could see it in his eyes, he was bound to that medicine cat for the rest of eternity, bound to her amber eyes and ThunderClan heritage, and possibly to their kits.

The rabbit bounded away from Ashfoot, but she knew the move would come. She quickly turned and pounced, landing squarely on its neck. It was dead before she even knew it. She looked behind her, looking for the remains of her patrol. Her clear blue eyes scanned the moor, Tornear was pouncing upon a young hare, Nightcloud had a hare in her mouth and was burying it in the ground while eyeing a mouse that strayed out of the strip of forest, and Crowfeather was… where was Crowfeather?

Ashfoot's muscles tightened as she prepared to dash over the moor, searching for the lost warrior. But off in the distance, at the stream that served as the border between ThunderClan and WindClan, was a large gray-black blob sitting, staring into the deep forest.

Ashfoot looked around until seeing exactly what she wanted. She dropped her prey and bolted towards the small rabbit. She killed it swiftly and laid it down a few foxtails in front of her. "Crowfeather!" She yowled, facing the opposite way of the love struck tom and the dead rabbit.

She heard paw steps as Crowfeather, walked toward her. Ashfoot turned around to see him with a rabbit in his mouth and the rabbit she had laid on the ground not present. "Come on," She said, turning to where Tornear and Nightcloud were waiting impatiently to return to camp. "It's getting dark."

Crowfeather obediently followed the deputy as they made their way back to the WindClan camp. He didn't trip over anything this time, but Tornear and Nightcloud were behind him, preparing to catch him if he were to fall.

When the group made it back to camp the sun was setting in the sky. Nightcloud dropped her prey into the fresh-kill pile and pelted into the warriors den. Tornear did likewise, but slower, and Crowfeather even slower. He wasn't watching where his paws were, or at least that was what he would say, so he tripped over Kestrelkit and knocked into Heatherkit, his sister **(A/N: Once again, we made something up. I wanted to put Heatherkit in this and I wanted to give her a sibling and Kestrelkit fit the bill)**. Harekit snickered at Crowfeather's clumsiness, but Crowfeather didn't care a mouse's tail about what that nosy kit thought about him, maybe he wasn't even paying attention.

Ashfoot walked to Onestar's den and laid the rabbit in front of him. Onestar's eyes traveled from the rabbit to his deputy before taking a bite. The mottled brown tabby tom looked up at Ashfoot before speaking to her, "How is the prey?"

"Fine," Ashfoot retorted, "usual Greenleaf weather, there is a lot of prey out."

Onestar nodded and dismissed her with a flick of his tail. Ashfoot bowed her head before leaving and heading to a mossy area within the camp. Other cats were huddled on nests, grooming or sleeping. Nightcloud was smoothing some moss next to her, twitching as she watched mates groom each others' fur. Tornear was fast asleep and Crowfeather… Crowfeather was gone.

For the second time that day Ashfoot's muscles tensed. She felt her hackles rise as she escaped the mossy area. She walked fast, trying to escape the camp before getting questioned on her actions. Unfortunately, she was caught. Fortunately, it was Willowclaw.

"Where are you going, Ashfoot?" She asked, her kits Kestrelkit and Heatherkit **(A/N: Insert same thing here as before except I wanted to give Whitetail kits and they fit the bill) **behind her tail, trying to listen in on the conversation without being seen.

"Just for a walk," she responded calmly, "I need to think some things out."

"I would love to go with you," Willowclaw said, "I could use some time just to think and unwind." Part of Ashfoot wanted Willowclaw to join her. She could use someone to talk to without pestering her about her son or her duties as deputy. Though she had to look for Crowfeather and she didn't want the rest of the Clan to find out he still loved Leafpool. "But I have to take care of my kits. They get cranky when they don't sleep!" She said lovingly, while looking warmly at her kits.

"Well," Ashfoot said, "I should go now. See you in the morning."

"Bring me a hare when you do!"

When the WindClan deputy finally made it out of seeing distance from the camp she broke into a powerful run. She bolted across the moorland, searching for her son's scent, WindClan with a small stench of moss. Then, she found Crowfeather.

Time froze.

He was at the border to ThunderClan, just sitting there.

Almost waiting.

Waiting for Leafpool.

Ashfoot tried to look, tried to see if the brown tabby she-cat would emerge from the woods and step across into WindClan territory. But she couldn't. She turned around and pelted back to camp. Tears streaming from her eyes. Crowfeather yowled words to the sky, but Ashfoot couldn't understand them.

She didn't want to.

Rowanclaw padded in the warriors den. He had been hoping for peace and quiet since his hunting patrol and disagreement with Tawnypelt. Then he realized the second most horrible thing to happen, his nest was directly next to Tawnypelt's. The tortoiseshell she-cat was shuffling in her sleep and clawing at her moss. Rowanclaw sighed, today was the only day of his life he wasn't thrilled to see her. Well, actually, he was.

Rowanclaw had a crush on Tawnypelt from the moment her first saw her in ThunderClan. He knew he couldn't have a relationship with a she-cat from another Clan. So he gave up on her, hoping he might forget about her and fall in love with a different she-cat in ShadowClan. But her green eyes clung to the back of his mind. Haunting him. He had thought he would go insane until the faithful day when she joined ShadowClan.

Tigerstar had been overjoyed at the thought of his blood running through ShadowClan. He would have someone that would support him through all things. And be there to make sure all members of ShadowClan respected him, a good number of cats did not think it was a good idea to take in a member of another Clan to become there leader.

Through all the tales queens tell their kits about Tigerstar and the battle with BloodClan and what a strong mentor who fought in the battle would tell his apprentice, one thing vital to Rowanclaw was not said in either: He knew when a tom liked a she-cat and knew the best and safest ways to get them together.

Weird, isn't it?

Well, anyway, Tigerstar could see it in his eyes. He assigned Rowanclaw and his mentor, Jaggedtooth, to show Tawnypelt around the territory. Rowanclaw also taught her how to catch toads and many other things.

When Tigerstar was killed, he was the shoulder for her to cry on, even though he needed to cry too. Who would help him get closer to his only love? Luckily, from that moment on, Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt became inseparable. Once Rowanclaw obtained his warrior name, Tawnypelt thought they would truly never be able to be as close as they were before, but Rowanclaw would chop off his tail before that happened. Russetfur, ShadowClan's deputy _and_ Rowanclaw's mother **(A/N: Once again I put two and two together and made five. Rowanclaw was probably born at around Fire and Ice which was when Russetfur was a rogue, and they are both ginger so what the hay)** always tried to put them on as may patrols together as possible. Maybe she could see it in his amber eyes, his eyes seem to be so readable.

Tawnypelt was a mischievous apprentice, she would play with moss instead of using it to make nests and countless other things. Rowanclaw didn't want shame to come to her, she was already either part ThunderClan or fully ThunderClan, but either way not completely ShadowClan. Some cats had a short fuse with her, they didn't respect her, so Rowanclaw took the blame. Saying he told Tawnypelt to throw the moss and to eat the prey, Rowanclaw also lost respect in this process. But he didn't care, as long as she was with him.

When Tawnypelt became a warrior things only got better, they could do what ever they want without some over protective mentor always breathing down their necks.

When Tawnypelt left to find Midnight Rowanclaw died a thousand times over. More actually, one for every second he didn't know where she was. When she came back, she was different. Something was different. She seemed to have all four Clans mixed into her. She became frightened much more easily, like WindClan, utter respect for the warrior code, like ThunderClan, she began to lay feathers and pebbles around her nest, like RiverClan.

Rowanclaw still loved her, he always will. She was still Tawnypelt. He took a step forward and laid down on his nest, facing the opposite way of Tawnypelt.

"Rowanclaw?" Said a sweet voice sleepily.

Time froze.

Why was Tawnypelt talking to him? Didn't she hate him? Didn't she want him to shrivel up and die?

Reality came again.

"Yes?" Rowanclaw was replying as Tawnypelt's mind wandered.

"Look…I-I-I'm _really _sorry about the way I treat you. I just…I was stupid."

"Y-you're _apologizing_? To _me_? I should be the one apologizing, I didn't respect your privacy. I should have just stayed away." Rowanclaw responded.

"No," Tawnypelt said, shaking her head, "I should be grateful for your friendship, not take it for granted. I should have talked to you, I value your opinion. You are such a great friend, these are hard times for all of us."

Rowanclaw said, "Thank you, I can't stand the thought of us just being Clan mates and den mates. I want to be your best friend. At least." The last words slipped out of his mouth before he had a chance to think. Maybe she wouldn't notice.

If she did, she showed no sign of it. "When I was trying to find Midnight, do you know what I missed the most?" She asked.

"No, what?" Rowanclaw's heart was soaring, and falling. What if she loved him? What if she loved another tom?

"You. I missed you. Your scent, your touch." Tawnypelt said before giggling, "Your soft tongue rasping my fur when I sleep. Your tongue is soft on my skin."

Rowanclaw hoped this was a compliment, because he turned to face Tawnypelt. She was already asleep. She must have been waiting for him all night long. Just before Rowanclaw fell asleep, he mouthed three words he wanted to say to her: I love you.

Ashfur pelted through the forest, snickering. Squirrelflight and Leafpool were running faster than the swiftest WindClan cat, hurrying to save their leader and father. He was so lucky, having an apprentice that trusted his life on his nose and would go running to his kittypet leader if he smelt ShadowClan and the cat said, 'I am Blackstar, I need to speak to Firestar, here, and alone.' Birchpaw is so easy to trick. He wasn't worried that they would get there to early, no. He gave Hawkfrost just enough time to make Brambleclaw kill Firestar. When the trio got there they would see Firestar's broken body, and Brambleclaw's claws covered with blood.

All would work out. Brambleclaw would be driven out of ThunderClan, Leafpool would travel to the Moonpool to find out who the next leader will be. If the next leader is not Ashfur, he'll definitely choose Ashfur as deputy as repayment for discovering Brambleclaw's treachery. And, best of all, Squirrelflight would love him, they would be mates, and they would have kits together. Litters of them. Ashfur's dark blue eyes glimmered with happiness of seeing her everyday, waking up with her next to him, gazing at her with love and her loving him back. Perfect.

A yowl shattered the silence: "Firestar!"

Through a fern Ashfur could see Firestar's flame colored fur lying limply on the ground. Blood covered the scene, covering Firestar's fur and the ground. Everything was going exactly as planned. Squirrelflight leaped over the fern, quicly followed by Squirrelflight. "No! Squirrelflight! Be careful!" Yowled Ashfur, he needed it to seem like he didn't know what happened and didn't want Squirrelflight to get hurt. His plan was working. Ashfur jumped over the fern, closing his eyes.

"Brambleclaw!" Yowled Squirrelflight.

Everything was going exactly as planned.

Except one itzy bitzy problem.

Instead of Squirrelflight yowling in surprise and backing into Ashfur, she pelted forward. Towards Brambleclaw. He was panting hard and his flanks were heaving. His claws were broken and covered with blood, as though he just had a battle, yet he didn't have a single scratch on him.

"Brambleclaw!" Squirrelflight yowled, "are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" Ashfur almost growled in disgust, but held it back. He leaped in front of Squirrelflight and pushed her back a foxtail. She screamed in surprise and Brambleclaw stopped dead in his traps, who had been advancing towards the ginger she-cat. "Ashfur, why did you do that?" She growled.

"Using a bit of common sense!" He retorted, "His claws are broken and stained with blood, and Firestar's dead body is lying on the ground! Your father is covered with blood and this deputy looks as though he just got into a fight, and his opponent was surprised and had no chance defeating Brambleclaw." Squirrelflight opened her mouth to reply but her sister cut her off.

Leafpool was at Firestar's side from the beginning. "No, Firestar is alive." She replied, "he was caught in a fox trap," flicking her tail toward a long stick on the ground, with a wire traveling up the ThunderClan leader and looping around his neck. "The blood isn't his. He has no scars. He is only unconscious." Leafpool grabbed the loop and pulled it off her father's head.

The trio of cats stood for a awkward silence, panting. Then, as though in response, the kittypet spoke.

"Wh-where is Hawkfrost?" He managed to croak, his green eyes searching the area, looking for the RiverClan tom.

Leafpool paid no attention to the words, she quickly scratched up moss from a nearby rock and ran towards the stream, soaking the moss. Squirrelflight blinked, was her father going insane? While Ashfur took the chance to take the ginger daughter away from that piece of fox dung.

"Hawkfrost?" He pretended to act surprised. "Of RiverClan? Did he do this? Why was he here?" He skidded on his paws and turned to face Brambleclaw, "You! You set this up! Why? Don't you respect your leader? Can't you wait to be leader? You're just like your father, Tigerstar!" Ashfur unsheathed his claws, while Brambleclaw's muscles tensed.

Squirrelflight jumped between the two toms nearing battle. Her back facing Brambleclaw, running her tail over his chest fur as she showed her teeth to Ashfur and narrowed her eyes into slits. "Stop it!" she growled at the speckled pale gray tom. "This was not his fault!"

Leafpool returned with the moss, if she had heard the conversation she didn't show it as she squeezed the moss into Firestar's mouth. Drops of water fell onto his dry tongue, and his voice was dry as he spoke. "Hawkfrost, where is he? Brambleclaw, what happened?"

"I fought him," He replied curtly, "He was going to kill you. I killed him." He blinked and stared at the lake.

Ashfur couldn't believe it, why would Brambleclaw kill Hawkfrost? He was told by the RiverClan tom that Brambleclaw had complete support in what they were doing. That he wanted to rule the forest alongside his half-brother. That lying twit… "Where is his body then?" He asked.

"I drowned him," He gasped, "his body is probably in the lake now." Squirrelflight turned to stare at Hawkfrost's resting place, and she gasped in horror. The lake was a deep crimson, the color of blood. Ashfur opened his mouth to taste the air, the familiar, salty tang clung to the roof of his mouth. Blood was everywhere.

"We have to get Firestar back to camp," Leafpool said, "we'll find out more about what happened later, now we need to save our leader."

Brambleclaw stepped forward, upon receiving a sneer from Ashfur he helped Leafpool rise Firestar to his paws and let him lean on him, with Leafpool taking the other side, this left Ashfur and Squirrelflight behind them, alone.

"Why did you defend him?" He asked, dark blue eyes on the path ahead of him.

"Because I know he wouldn't do that." She responded, "yes, he looks like his father. He might have his stubbornness. But they are different cats. The Brambleclaw I know would never do anything like that. They are different cats, linked by blood, but there not the same." The she-cat's words stung the tom. The rest of the journey was silent except for the occasional moan from Firestar.

When the group reached camp they were swarmed by cats. Stormfur and Brook relieved Firestar's weight from Brambleclaw's and Leafpool's shoulders and started towards the leader's den. Leafpool, Squirrelflight and Sandstorm quickly following, along with the eyes of ThunderClan.

After moments of no one being allowed in Firestar's den, Leafpool stepped outside the cave and flicked her tail, motioning for the ThunderClan deputy and Ashfur to come in.

The den was spacious, even with the large number of cats it still didn't feel crowded. Firestar was lying on his nest, Sandstorm licking his ears. Leafpool seated herself in a far corner, so she could see everyone. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw sat next to each other, Squirrelflight licking Brambleclaw's chest. Ashfur silently growled in disgust as he sat as far away from the two as possible.

"Now," Firestar started, "let's see what happened. Brambleclaw, you start."

The ThunderClan deputy placed his tail on Squirrelflight to get her to stop grooming him, she stopped, but still gazed lovingly into his amber eyes. Ashfur almost puked. "I was hunting in the forest when I heard a noise." He began, "Hawkfrost came out of nowhere, I asked him why he was here and he said he had some business to attend to with Firestar. I was going to escort him to camp to see you when I heard a chocking noise." Brambleclaw paused, glancing at Firestar while organizing his thoughts. "I realized it was you so I tried to save you. But Hawkfrost got in my way, saying it was T-" He paused and closed his eyes, "My father's plan, our father's plan. He said we were destined to rule the Clans, I would lead ThunderClan and WindClan while he would lead RiverClan and ShadowClan. Hawkfrost said he was helping me, he wanted me to kill you, Firestar."

A moment of silence passed, the noises outside seemed to shut themselves off. Ashfur knew the plan, but he didn't think Brambleclaw would say it so bluntly. Squirrelflight turned her attention to Leafpool. No words passed between them, but they seemed to read each others thoughts, having a full blown conversation with no other cat in the room knowing what they were saying. Sandstorm closed her eyes, adding the missing pieces of the puzzle together. Firestar had his green eyes examining his former apprentice, his eyes were wide with surprise.

Brambleclaw, was a different story. He was facing the floor, his amber eyes didn't seem like his.

They were like Tigerstar's.

If you didn't know Tigerstar or never got a good look at him you would be utterly confused. Tigerstar's eyes were not just amber, they were, but they had more.

Now Ashfur could see it in the eyes of that murderous tom's son. He was a kit when Brambleclaw had been born, and Tigerstar visited the nursery often. Ashfur knew his eyes before he became an apprentice.

They were captivating. Their color drew him in, swirled him into a different world. They were mysterious and showed great strength. They made him look for ferocious than his massive claws did. They showed his ambition and sparkled and glimmered when something went his way.

When he was angry, that is more like fifty foxtails away. They turned almost red, They were like blood, they could make you do whatever he wanted you to. They were… scary.

Since Ashfur was in the nursery when Brambleclaw was born and when he opened his eyes for the first time, he also knew how his eyes looked. At first glance you would see Tigerstar, the murderous cat. But, when you really looked, as in looked inside to see what was there. You wouldn't find him. Brambleclaw's eyes were full of kindness and love. His strength was hidden in his eyes, but it was there. He would gaze over those he loved and they would have his protection. If Ashfur ever had it, he probably didn't have it now.

Brambleclaw is a guardian. More specifically, Squirrelflight's. He sure does do a bad job at that. When Ashfur had been on patrol with Squirrelflight and they had been threatened by a ShadowClan patrol Ashfur had leaped in front of the ginger she-cat. If Brambleclaw had been in his place, he would let Squirrelflight fling herself into battle, let her get killed. He calls himself a guardian! **(A/N: If you read **_**Cats of the Clans **_**you would know what I'm talking about, read the Ashfur one and it should talk about how he always wanted to protect her when she needed to jump in paws first to learn something. Brambleclaw knows that, so he lets her, but keeps a close eye on her, while Ashfur thinks she need to be protected, another reason while Ashfur and Squirrelflight would have never worked out, even if she didn't love Brambleclaw.)**

The ThunderClan deputy broke the silence. "We know what happens next," He said, "we know enough now. Tomorrow, early morning, I, Leafpool, Ashfur and Brambleclaw will go to RiverClan to tell them." He flicked his tail, dismissing the cats, except Sandstorm. As Ashfur rose and left the den he heard Firestar whisper, "Let's hope this doesn't start a war with RiverClan.

WF: WHERE'S MY KETCHUP?

IC: YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY!

WF: MEANIE BO BEANIE! Oh Little Croissant! Teach my waiter dude a lesson!

Little Croissant: Sorry, Wildfire. I danced too much, cramps everywhere!

IC: While Wildfire is having her ketchup problems, I would like to tell the audience that

Russetfur is NOT proven to be Rowanclaw's mother. Two and two were put together and

we got five. One: Both Rowanclaw and Russetfur are ginger. Two: Russetfur was a rogue

around the time when Rowanclaw was born so that would explain why she was never

listed as a queen. Three: They both arrived at ShadowClan at the same time. We have our

supporting details.

WF: Ya know what?

IC: What!

WF: My name typed down like WF seems like WTF! 

IC: Okay O.o… same thing with Willowclaw, we were originally planning to use

Whitetail instead. But we don't have the allegiances to Sunset so we're not sure if she

was a queen then. Willowclaw was the first cat that came to mind. If anyone had Sunset

at hand would you mind clicking the review button and copying down all the cats outside

of ThunderClan, we just need their name, Clan and position in the Clan. We'll look up

how they look ourselves. Same thing with Kestrelkit and Heatherkit. I think Kestrelkit is

older than Jaypaw, just doesn't learn as fast. Something held him back. I also think that

Heatherkit is older than Lionpaw, it wasn't her first gathering and she seems to know a

lot more than he does. He got his warrior name early because he fought very well at the

battle, Heatherkit got hers on time.

WF: Okay… look, I know how much you love to ramble on and on and on and on about

EVERYTHING, but times a tickin'! So, Cameraman, ya ready?!

Cameraman: -nods-

WF: You better not cut me off like the last one did! Anyway, were out in

5…4…3…2…1…1 and 1 millisecond…I and 2 milliseconds…1 an-

IC: All right that's it! Cameraman, WE'RE OFF!

-Lights flash off-

WF: I hate you! Oh, and Cameraman?

CM: Yeah?

WF: YOU'RE FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s.

DON'T forget to vote!!! …for me! From... Wildfire or WF or WTF!

p.s. 2

Please excuse Wildfire's horrible language. Review! We accept anonymous reviewers!

_Iceclaw14_


End file.
